I’m intrigued by such things as string theory in which matter and energy are interchangeable and the tiniest particles turn out to be vibrating waves of energy weaving in and out of multiple dimensions, by the way the vibrational frequencies of sound can translate into visual structures, by the way the frequencies of spinning electrons create color and how color in turn emanates vibrational frequencies, by the mysteries of quantum physics, the mysteries of space-time and the mystery of life.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
My art reflects my beliefs about the nature of the universe and the interconnectedness of all things. I’m inspired by light and color, Nature, the Earth, the Cosmos, patterns from biology, geometry, astronomy, physics, quantum physics, metaphysics and how they all interact and intersect. I believe there are unseen patterns and structures that exist in multiple dimensions across the multiverse - surrounding, connecting and influencing everything in the material and non-material realms. Some structures exist in the form of waves like light or sound while others take the form of mathematical structures like the Fibonacci Sequence that dictates the spiral patterns seen in many plant forms, or the Golden Ratio expressed in the spirals of galaxies as well as in many life forms. I’m intrigued by such things as string theory in which matter and energy are interchangeable and the tiniest particles turn out to be vibrating waves of energy weaving in and out of multiple dimensions, by the way the vibrational frequencies of sound can translate into visual structures, by the way the frequencies of spinning electrons create color and how color in turn emanates vibrational frequencies, by the mysteries of quantum physics, the mysteries of space-time and the mystery of life. My aim as an artist is to capture the wonder and beauty of those unseen structures and bring them forth into the visible physical world in the form of colors, patterns and images.
I work in both acrylic paint and in digital media. My subjects in both media include light and color, patterns from life, science and math, dots, spots, circles, particles, waves, energy, flowing lines, spirals, mandalas and abstract landscapes. Inspirations include Mark Rothko, Vincent Van Gogh, Victor Vasarely, Yaakov Agam, Hilma af Klint, Brigitte Riley, Op Art of the 60’s and 70’s and the work of Alan Turing on the mathematics underlying the spots and stripes of animals.
TECHNIQUES
Acrylic Paintings: My acrylic paintings incorporate diatomaceous earth (DE) mixed with gel mediums and pigment to create heavily textured surfaces with expressive brush strokes that add movement and energy. DE is a very fine sand like substance made from the skeletons of diatoms (tiny one celled sea creatures) used because of it’s grainy texture and non-reflective quality. I make my own brushes out of dust broom straw to achieve the directional textures. Color and the vibrational and emotional effect it has on the viewer is an important part of my work, with color harmonies and compositions meticulously built from several layers of translucent and opaque paint. The full effect of the color vibrations and energy emanating from my paintings are best appreciated in person.
Digital Images: Although much of my art is digital, I am actually an “old school” artist. I call many of my digital images "digital drawings" because each piece starts as a concept pencil sketch, refined with successive layers of tracing paper. For the repeat patterns, I draw out the design as a pattern tile, then trace the edges several times over until I get a smooth transition at the seams of the pattern tile. The final drawing gets scanned into Adobe Illustrator where I trace over every line and shape by hand using a digital drawing tablet. Sometimes the drawing consists of a grid upon which I place and distort shapes such as circles, one at a time by hand in Illustrator. I also do “digital paintings” using many layers of brush strokes in much the same way as my layered acrylic paintings.
BIOGRAPHY
Shan Ogdemli was born in Berkeley, California to a creative family of artists, architects and musicians, with an ethnic Siberian Tatar father born in Turkey and a first generation Sicilian mother. Early on, the family moved to Thailand where Shan's mother passed away and her father met and married an adventurous German photographer who became Shan’s second mother. Later they moved to Hong Kong and then to Hawaii where Shan finished high school. The family traveled extensively throughout Asia and Europe due to her parents' art and design based businesses. This early exposure to art, music, design, diverse cultures, world religions and different philosophies helped shape her broad world view, deep spirituality and reverence for the natural world. She was heavily influenced by the lush tropical colors and abundant flora and fauna of Thailand and Hawaii.
Shan left her beautiful Hawaii to attend Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, earning a BFA with high honors and a full scholarship. After college, Shan and her husband, Daniel Feldman, founded an award winning graphic design and illustration studio in Los Angeles. The studio soon grew to a staff of 10, with projects that included Super Bowl logos and tickets, cards for Paper Moon Graphics, fashion ads for Guess for Men, album covers and more. Shan created hundreds of illustrations that ranged from psychedelic imagery, modernist patterns and realistic animals. They started licensing Shan's colorful illustrations onto a variety of products including home decor, stationery items, fabrics and cosmetic bags under the brand name Designs by Shan. In 2005 Shan and Daniel together with their agents launched Pampered Girls, a lifestyle fashion brand, which became an international phenomenon with several stores in Japan and Taiwan, and thousands of licensed products sold globally.
Despite these early successes in the commercial art world, Shan's true passion had always been creating her own fine art, which she squeezed in time for whenever she could. Finally, in 2021, after the kids were all grown up, Shan and Daniel sold their house and business in Los Angeles and in 2022, made the move to beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she set up her home based studio. Ever since, Shan has been happily focusing all of her time on creating her colorful and expressive art.
Shan's large acrylic paintings depict masterfully colored abstract interpretations of landscapes, skyscapes and natural and cosmic phenomena. Her digital images are inspired by science, geometry and patterns from nature. All of her art is imbued with an ethereal, spiritual quality that emits light and energy. Her art has been well received and exhibited locally and nationally.